The governments of France and Prussia took special efforts to encourage the adoption of potatoes in the 17-18th centuries. Why aren't there similar stories about the potato's adoption in other European nations?

by Real_Carl_Ramirez

As a gardener, I am familiar with the stories of how:

  • The potato was popularised in Prussia by Frederick the Great by providing free seed potatoes and enacting severe penalties for not growing potatoes.

  • After eating potatoes as a POW in Prussia, Antoine-Augustin Parmentier returned to France and popularised the potato there through the following publicity stunts:

    • Hosting dinners at which potato dishes featured prominently and guests included luminaries such as Benjamin Franklin and Antoine Lavoisier.

    • Giving bouquets of potato blossoms to the king and queen.

    • Surrounding his potato patch at Sablons with armed guards during the day to suggest valuable goods and withdrawing them at night so people could steal the potatoes.

In short, it took elaborate efforts to popularise the potato in Prussia and France.

But other European nations such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, the PLC, Austria-Hungary, the Russian Empire and the Scandinavian states also adopted the potato as a central part of their diet. Did their governments need elaborate tactics to promote the potato like what Prussia and France did, or was there some reason why these countries adopted the potato organically?

Sphereian

The kingdom of Denmark-Norway had "potato priests". Priests would preach the gospel of the blessings of the potato on Sundays, informing and encouraging the congregation.

But it was actually the English who did the most significant work, in Norway at least. They placed a trade embargo on the kingdom during the Napoleonic wars, Denmark-Norway being a French ally and enemy. English ships blocked all trade wessels bringing wheat etc to Norway, and that combined with really bad harvests, led to starvation. Wheat can be grown in Norway, but it's not that suited to our climate. The potato, on the other hand, suits our climate well. All that preaching in church finally paid off.